Surf’s up here on BTR, and we’re celebrating the official start of summer today on Sew & Tell with Estuaries, a beautiful new line of beach and swimwear from sisters/co-founders Zhu Ru and Layla Chen. Natives of Hawaii, both sisters eventually migrated to the Big Apple and decided to seize the opportunity to work on a new project together. Lucky for us, that project is a minimalistic, elegant, understated line of swim and resort pieces inspired by both the beach culture of Hawaii and the urban jungle of New York. On today’s show, Zhu Ru and Layla talk about the launch of Estuaries, how the polarized influences of Hawaii and New York find balance in their designs, the design challenges specific to creating swimwear, some of the elements that inspire the Estuaries piece, a few of their favorite spots in Hawaii, and more.

Plus, a soundtrack covered in surf and sand, featuring tracks from artists like Tijuana Panthers, Beach House, Best Coast, and Coastgaard. So find a beach chair, lay back and relax in style with Sew & Tell on BTR!

6-681x1024.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="676" />

**Upon reflection, the Chen sisters decided to keep their S/S 2015 design under wraps until the big reveal of the whole collection. But take it from me: it’s gorgeous & worth the wait!

For more on Estuaries & the charming Chen sisters…
– View the full S/S 2014 and S/S 2013 Lookbooks, and shop all current styles on the Estuaries website.
– Check out this great interview with the sisters from The Distillerist**! (**Correction: I announced in the show that this interview was from Shape Magazine, but it is from The Distillerist, a web publication dedicated to sustainable style.)
– Follow Estuaries on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date and in-the-know.
– Browse through the Estuaries inspiration collection for summery refreshment all year long!

A few of Layla & Zhu Ru’s favorite spots in Hawaii:
– Beaches: Lanikai, Three Tables, and Waikiki
– Restaurant: Mariposa at Neiman Marcus in Honolulu
– Town: Haleiwa in the North Shore region

Odds & Ends:
– Check out these gorgeous summer dresses! I just bought this amazing, uber-comfortable and chic navy maxi from Amour Vert at Kaight in Brooklyn, which I will wear all summer long, everywhere. I’m also lusting after this beautiful linen mini from CP Shades, and this striking gauze Patio Dress from LemLem.
– Rhubarb season is coming to a close – enjoy the last few stalks with this quick, easy & pretty Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake from Food52! (I made it last night to rave reviews, this is definitely a keeper.)
– My new favorite mascara from Prescriptives. Smudge-proof, delicate but dramatic, it’s everything I want to give my eyes a natural pop! (Btw, did you know you’re supposed to change your mascara every 2 – 3 months to avoid infection?? I definitely haven’t been doing that… good to know!)
– Looking for the perfect summer beach book? Your search is over! J.K. Rowling, er, “Robert Gailbraith” has a new mystery novel out! The sequel to last year’s Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm features the return of Cormoran Strike and his trusty Robin, back on the trail of another deadly mystery.
– Don’t forget to enter the BreakThru Radio #9at9 Contest for your chance to win an iPad, a Go Pro camera, or a set of Bose speakers!

Tijuana Panthers
(Photo by Nick Walker)
Aug 15 – Fortune Sound – Vancouver, British Columbia
Aug 16 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
Aug 19 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
Aug 20 – The Garage – Ventura, CA
Aug 21 – El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
Aug 22 – The Glass House – Pomona, CA
Aug 23 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA

Surfer Blood
(Photo by Rez Avissar)
July 4 & 5 – 80/35 Music Festival @ Western Gateway Park – Des Moines, IA
July 12 – Chive Fest @ Seattle Center – Seattle, WA
July 14 – Connection Festival – Jacksonville, FL

Best Coast
(Photo by Dan Martensen)
July 4 & 5 – 80/35 Music Festival @ Western Gateway Park – Des Moines, IA
July 18 – 20 – Pemberton Music Festival @ Pemberton Valley – Pemberton, British Columbia
Aug 2 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
Aug 23 & 24 – First City Festival @ Monterey County Fair & Event Center – Monterey, CA
Oct 11 & 12 – Festival Corona Capital @ Curva 4 Del Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – Mexico City, Mexico